Pansies - or are they?

How could Pansy ever mean anything other than strong and hardy? These guys are hard workers and will thrive in the early spring weather. Here are some tips for keeping the Pansies as happy as possible:

General Care

Light: Pansies grow best in a place with at least 6 hours of sun. Some afternoon shade is beneficial in spring.

Soil: Pansies grow best in rich, moist, well-drained soil high in organic matter. Add peat or composted manure to enrich your soil.

Temperature: Pansies will develop best when night temperatures are in the 40’s and day temperatures are in the 60 degree range. They are extremely cold hardy and will bloom any time that the temperature is above freezing.

Fertilizer: When planting, water in with root stimulator fertilizer.  We suggest using an organic fertilizer such as Espoma’s Flower-tone to continuously release fertilizer to your flowers.

Bloom: Keep old flowers pinched off to force more blossoms. Pansies will slow down in hot late spring temperatures. Pinch back, keep well-watered and mulch to keep roots cool. Replace with annuals in early summer.

Sub-Zero Pansies  are guaranteed by the grower to bloom in fall and again in spring when planted in late summer or early autumn.  Avoid wind-swept/exposed locations.  Do not place where plants are exposed to road salt or standing water.  Not recommended for container gardening.

Friends of Pansies

Spring: Combine  pansies with primroses, late blooming bulbs and early vegetables such as frilly red lettuce and cabbage.

Fall: Combine pansies with ornamental cabbage, kale, mums, and ornamental grasses.

Give the Pansies a shot! They will keep your garden bright and cheerful at times when summer annuals are hiding in the greenhouse!

Starting Seeds - Get a Head Start on Spring!

It's beginning to look and feel a lot like spring! We get so excited to get to planting that we don't always remember that this is still Indiana... Let's start growing our plants inside and then move them outdoors when the time is right!

Here are some tips and tricks that we have learned over the years. Seed starting may sound like something that only advanced gardeners do, but with a little research and help from Allisonville Nursery, it can be a very fun, easy, and rewarding project!

Containers
Many different types of containers from commercial trays and inserts to yogurt cups are suitable for seed starting provided they have drainage holes. Used containers must be sterilized by rinsing them in a solution of one part chlorine bleach to 10 parts water.

Soil Mix
Always start with a sterile germinating mix. Do not use garden soil, it can harbor disease organisms. Moisten mix with room temperature water prior to  filling containers. Fill containers and gently tamp soil mix down. As a rule of thumb, plant seeds at a depth 2-3 times their diameter.

Planting
Very fine seeds such as petunia or begonia should be sown on the surface. Moisten the surface after planting with a fine mist. Large-seeded vegetables that resent transplanting, such as cucumber, cantaloupe and watermelon should be planted directly into peat pots.
Some seeds have specific light or dark requirements for germination. Sow seeds that require light such as dill, lettuce and impatiens on top of the soil. Cover seeds of cabbage, cauliflower, parsley and spinach
for germination.
Cover containers with clear plastic bags and place in a warm location for germination. Do not place covered containers in direct sunlight. Check daily for germination.

Special Techniques

• Scarification is nicking or roughing up a hard seed coat with sandpaper to enable the germination shoot to emerge. Seeds that benefit include lupine, moonflower and morning glory.
• Stratification mimics the cold/moist condition of winter. Place seeds between layers of moist soil mix, cover and refrigerate for several weeks. Purple coneflower, columbine and violas benefit from this process.

Timing
Don’t plant seeds too soon. Check seed packages for proper timing. The last frost date for central Indiana is May 10.